Statman,
Question for you and I realize that this is somewhat off the thread topic.

How many of last seasons CU players, in your opinion, could have played for a D-1 or D-1AA program?

I think "play" is a dangerous word. There are certainly guys on the Campbell team that could contribute on special teams and spot play but to be a consistent starter on an average or better I-AA team, I'd say no.

The biggest gap for most of those guys is the speed gap. ODU is a perfect example. They are certainly bigger faster and stronger and the reason for that is scholarships. They get guys that CU can't. Plain and simple. Does that mean CU doesn't have good players? Absolutely not! You ask most teams CU play and they would say technically CU is very good.

I am not just saying CU is in this situation...I think all PFL teams lack that talent even JU. JU had to scratch and claw to beat the WORST Big South team in Charleston Southern who went 0-11. For the most part most PFL teams struggle against any scholarship program that is in a playoff bid league.

I think expecting CU to compete year in and year out with good scholarship programs is like asking Appy State to beat Michigan, Ohio State and LSU in back to back to back years. They got one...great but most the time they get thumped pretty good.

I've heard a possible future opponent might be a Baptist school from Georgia that competes in NAIA and whose name implies it's "not as tall as other schools."

(01-11-2012 10:50 AM)OrangeCamel Wrote:  I've heard a possible future opponent might be a Baptist school from Georgia that competes in NAIA and whose name implies it's "not as tall as other schools."

oh, i hope not

Watch out for those NAIA programs because they can get sneaky good REAL quick! The reason...they can get kids in school that NCAA programs cannot because of easy academic qualifying rules.

First game of season is a Thursday NIGHT game, not sure of opponent but will play on August 30th !!!!!

(01-23-2012 11:20 PM)camelcountry Wrote:  First game of season is a Thursday NIGHT game, not sure of opponent but will play on August 30th !!!!!

Would love for it to be an FCS school. Wonder how Thursday night attendance will compare to Saturdays?

(01-25-2012 08:29 AM)OrangeCamel Wrote:  

(01-23-2012 11:20 PM)camelcountry Wrote:  First game of season is a Thursday NIGHT game, not sure of opponent but will play on August 30th !!!!!

Would love for it to be an FCS school. Wonder how Thursday night attendance will compare to Saturdays?

i think thur night att. would be better! cooler for sure

Marist has released their '12 schedule and they visit CU November 17 (possibly the last game of the season).

camelcountry was right...our first game will be Thursday, August 30th and its vs Shorter (Ga)...

http://goshorterhawks.com/sports/m-footb...12schedule

So, looking at everything that's been released thusfar, Campbell's schedule looks like...

8-30 SHORTER
9- 8
9-15 at Old Dominion
9-22
9-29
10- 6
10-13
10-20
10-27 at Morehead State
11- 3
11-10
11-17 MARIST

UVa-Wise on 8 September too

(02-17-2012 01:54 PM)camelcountry Wrote:  UVa-Wise on 8 September too

8-30 SHORTER
9- 8 UVA-WISE
9-15 at Old Dominion
9-22
9-29
10- 6
10-13
10-20
10-27 at Morehead State
11- 3
11-10
11-17 MARIST

OK, fellow Campbell fans....which game are you most pumped-up about about seeing? Shorter or UVA-Wise?!! I suppose they're starting with an easier (sub D-1) schedule to prepare all the new players for the rigors of college football. That might be alright this year, but I hope it's not a trend.

Assuming the PFL game sites from last year are reversed, we can also anticipate Drake, Davidson, and Valpo coming to the Creek.

Considering the short history of the program and the need for building a winning tradition, I get excited for just winning games regardless of the opponent. Old Dominion will be the toughest Non-conference opponent anyone in the PFL will play and while I love Campbell, winning that game is a pipe dream.

I get the most pumped up playing Old Dominion. They are the best team on our schedule. We make more money playing them than all the other games combined.

We actually get to play a really good team and see how we stack up.

Don't think we will just walk over UVA Wise. I went to the game a couple years ago and those guys almost beat us.

I think playing teams like ODU is interesting but you only need one team like that on your schedule a year. I don't know the last time, if ever, a PFL team actually beat a ranked opponent. I just think being out of a game before the second half begins is just a huge bummer and that's what has happened in the last two games against what is turning out to be a CAA power.

I know we will lose to ODU but we have played them tight for atleast a half just about everytime we have played them. We were in the game last year for a while.

I think we made some good money for the program by playing them there.

Don't get me wrong, I think playing one game a year like this is fine, but the only game we were ever in at the half was year one (Campbell's second year and ODU's first). Campbell led 10-7 at the half.

Last year's game was 28-7 at the half and after CU scored on the opening drive of the game, ODU scored 38 unanswered points. Two years ago at home it was 20-10 at the half but ODU lead 20 to nothing to start and the final was 44-13.

The contract in this series was originally 2 games in Norfolk and 2 games in Buies Creek. ODU bought the last game of the series (I'd be suprised if it was any more than $75 K), so this year's game will be the only game CU makes money on. Getting scholarship programs to the Creek will be few and far between because CU can't pay for the visit and bigger programs make to much money on home games.

I think a big part of athletics is understanding who you are as a program and scheduling appropriately. Does that mean you don't challenge yourself? Absolutely not, but the reason I-AA non-scholarship football exists is because you can't play football at a lower level than the rest of your sports (See Dayton). Essentially, I-AA non-scholarship football is DIII football for DI schools who cannot afford the scholarships. Dayton was a DIII power before being forced to move because the NCAA changed the rules.

Again, I LIKE playing this game or one similiar to it each year, but I think if we hold our teams to the standard of competing game in and game out and beating teams at scholarship levels, we are all going to be very dissappointed.

I heard we made about 100K off the game.

You are right about last years game. We were down 3 TD's at half. I guess the reason I thought we were in the game is late in 1st quarter on a horrible spot we turned ball over on downs and could have scored and tied game at 14 -14. May not have made a difference in the outcome but would have made it closer. We fell apart after that.

In 2010 we were down 20-10 at the half. I thought we were still in that game. Being at the game even though we were down we were within 2 scores and it felt like we could compete. We did not in the secon half and lost badly.

We have lost a whole lot worse though to teams in our own conference and looked a lot worse. I actually think we looked better playing ODU that some other teams we have played. Many of then non-scholarship. I think when we play better competition we actually play better. Is certainly a better game.

Playing cupcakes like apprentice does not help any in my opinion. Gives the coaches a few more wins but does nothing for the program.

Basketball ran Methodist off the court this year and after that started our worst run of the season. I don't think playing vastly inferior opponents is good for us.

I also think D-IAA is much better than DIV III football. If we played a schedule full of DIV III football we would have a much better record right now. I would hope we would not lose to a DIV III team anymore.

USD on 10-13. Also, I've heard the light installation isn't a 100% sure-thing so that opening game might be the following Saturday afternoon. Somebody needs to write that check!!

8-30 SHORTER
9- 8 UVA-WISE
9-15 at Old Dominion
9-22
9-29
10- 6
10-13 at San Diego
10-20
10-27 at Morehead State
11- 3
11-10
11-17 MARIST

Everyone but, Valpo and JU have officially announced their schedules, so you can deduce the rest of Campbell’s schedule.
See also
http://www.championshipsubdivision.com/fcs-schedules

8-30 SHORTER
9- 8 UVA-WISE
9-15 at Old Dominion
9-22 at Butler
9-29 DRAKE
10- 6 Bye
10-13 at San Diego
10-20 DAVIDSON
10-27 at Morehead State
11- 3 VALPARAISO
11-10 at Jacksonville
11-17 MARIST